


A Marriage Proposal

by pasteloblivion



Category: Falsettos - Lapine/Finn
Genre: F/F, Fluff, i wrote this all in one day, let’s go lesbians, super fluffy, the lesbians from next door, yeehaw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-23 03:35:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20333383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pasteloblivion/pseuds/pasteloblivion
Summary: In which Cordelia works up the courage to propose to Charlotte, her girlfriend of three years.





	A Marriage Proposal

By the time Cordelia takes the chicken out of the oven, her kitchen looks something like a hurricane. Pots and pans are strewn about the unkempt counter space, left unclean as the blonde rushes from one dish to the next. She runs through her messy checklist for the umpteenth time. Roasted chicken? Check. Charlotte's favorite soup? Check. Red wine, which she may or may not have found in the clearance section? Check. Fancy candles, white tablecloth, and the fine china she'd "borrowed" from her mother's house? Check, check, check. 

Sighing, she takes in her hard work. The dining room looks even better than she'd expected. Elegant music flows through the radio, filling the apartment with a symphony of violins and gentle notes. Their table is decked in porcelain serving platters and crystalline wine glasses— the best she could find. In the center stands a candelabra, its light flickering softly in contrast to the darkened walls. She'd even gone as far as to deck the counter space with roses from their local florist. 

After checking once more that everything is set, the caterer allows herself a moment to sit and breathe. It briefly calms the nerves tugging at her stomach, but one look at the clock on the wall confirms that Charlotte will be home any time now. In a matter of minutes, she'll give what just might be the biggest, most life-changing speech ever: a proposal to the woman she’s madly in love with. No pressure, right?

Wrong.

Cordelia produces a small velvet box from her pocket. A glance at the ring she'd purchased nearly a week ago makes her heart pump with excitement. Admittedly, she’d had quite a bit of trouble finding something at the jewelry store to fit her tiny budget. She ended up with perhaps the most basic engagement ring possible: a sterling silver band that holds a diamond roughly the size of a pebble. The salesperson (who would occasionally throw the blonde a disgusted glance, as if horrified that a woman was going to propose to another woman) had described it as budget-friendly, but Cordelia figures that was the polite way of saying “perfect for people with shitty salaries”. She had almost feared that Charlotte would reject her because of the gemstone, but Cordelia knew in her heart that her doctor would never be so materialistic and vain. 

A smile creeps onto the caterer’s lips as she thinks of her partner of three years. There’s not a single doubt in her mind that Charlotte’s the woman she wants to spend the rest of her life with. Sure, not everything in their relationship is perfect, but she adores her doctor and couldn’t imagine a life without her. Her intelligence, her smile, her loyalty and maturity, the way she looks at Cordelia as though she’s a goddess... Charlotte is breathtaking in every sense of the word. Despite her nervousness, Cordelia knows that she’s about to make the best decision of her life. 

Just then, a subtle click of the doorknob fills the cramped apartment. Cordelia quickly crams the box back into her pocket, taking a moment to smooth out her blue blouse. As the door opens, she’s blessed with the sight of her beautiful soon-to-be fiancé, who runs a hand through her hair and offers a tired grin.

Unable to wipe the anxious smile off her face, Cordelia coos a greeting. “Charlotte, baby! You’re finally home!”

“‘Delia, how are y—” the doctor falters, her eyes slowly trailing to the candlelit dining table. “Oh, what’s all this?”

“Surprise! This is all for you!”

Charlotte raises an eyebrow. “It’s not already my birthday, is it? And Valentine’s day was two months ago, and our anniversary isn’t for—”

“Sheesh, can’t a woman do something nice for her girlfriend without any particular reason?” Cordelia interrupts, heart beating a tad faster than what’s considered normal.

Before the brunette can respond, she leads her into the dining room and pulls out a chair, gesturing for Charlotte to take a seat. In the dim candlelight, her partner looks positively radiant. 

“Honey, you really didn’t have to go through all of this effort,” Charlotte says, looking a little bewildered she sits. “You already work your ass off cooking at work, the last thing I’d want you to do is wear yourself out trying to do the same thing at home for me.” 

Cordelia scoffs. “Oh, shush. It was really nothing. And besides, my favorite girl deserves the best.”

Okay, perhaps “nothing” is a bit of a lie, but the exhausted look on Charlotte’s face suggests that the last thing she needs to hear about is the grueling time Cordelia spent on this surprise.

Hand on her hip, she leans down to give Charlotte a kiss on the cheek. It isn’t until after they’ve pulled apart and Cordelia has already waltzed into the kitchen that the doctor speaks again. 

“...Is that matzo ball soup that I’m smelling?”

Giggling, Cordelia steps back into the room with two plates of food. She sets one on either side of the table and sits across from her partner. “Yep! I made your favorites— matzo ball soup, roasted chicken and veggies, even bought some red wine. Also, there’s cookies that I baked with my family’s secret recipe!”

“That must’ve taken forever...” Charlotte trails off, gazing at her dinner with a wide range of emotions. “I really don’t deserve you, ‘Delia.”

“Hey, don’t talk like that. We’re in this together, sweetheart. I deserve you and you deserve me!”

“Sure, but I still—”

Cordelia interrupts once more. “No ‘buts’! We deserve each other, and that’s final. Now tell me, is the food good?”

Normally, it isn’t. The caterer isn’t necessarily the greatest chef of all time, and more often than not her meals are considerably less than great. Sure, her food was edible... but not much more could be said about her cooking.

Maybe a homemade dinner wasn’t the best idea for this, she thinks, growing more nervous by the second. Everything has to go perfectly tonight! Shit, what if she says no to my proposal because of how bad my cooking is?

Tentatively, Charlotte takes a bite of chicken. Cordelia half expects her to spit it out when she isn’t looking, but surprisingly, the doctor’s features light up. “Honey, this is delicious. You made this?”

Cordelia has to resist the urge to break into a happy dance, choosing instead to beam. “I did! I made it all by myself!”

“I’m proud of you, ‘Delia. This is absolutely perfect— no, you’re perfect.”

At that moment, Cordelia becomes uncomfortably aware of the small box’s presence in her pocket. Her throat goes dry. Her nerves are telling her to simply take it out and get the proposal over with, but something deep within her forbids it. She needs the perfect moment, the perfect opportunity to confess her undying devotion to the woman in front of her. 

In other words, she’ll need to wait a little longer to get things moving.

The couple eats in relative calm for the next several minutes, occasionally exchanging bits of small talk between bites. They talk of Charlotte’s day at work, of how things are going at the catering business, of their friends— anything to keep the conversation alive. All the while, Cordelia plasters a nervous smile on her face and keeps a hand tucked firmly on her jeans. 

“How’s Marvin?” Cordelia asks, the topic now settled on the lives of their mutual friends. Marvin is Charlotte’s closest friend, but lord knows Cordelia doesn’t get to hear enough about him. “I haven’t heard from the poor guy in a while.”

“Oh, he’s... adjusting,” Charlotte offers. “I try to talk to him on my lunch breaks as often as I can. All things considered, I guess he’s doing well enough.”

“Poor thing. It can’t be easy, living a situation like that. Suddenly coming to terms with your sexuality, having to go through with a divorce...” Cordelia shudders, the word divorce leaving an unpleasant taste on her tongue. 

“I think he’s lonely. He’s had time to cope with everything and make amends with the people in his life, but what I think he needs is to start getting out more, experiencing things with people.”

“We could always invite him over for dinner,” Cordelia muses. “Or, hell, I could grab Whizzer and force them to finally meet.”

Charlotte huffs out a laugh, making Cordelia’s heart flutter with glee. “Now that’s an idea. Putting the two most different men in the world in the same room.”

“Oh, come on, they’re not that different! They’re both gay, for starters. Both of them like to, uh, y’know...” Cordelia wracks her brain for any similarities between her best friend and Marvin, and comes up with nothing of substance. “Okay, maybe you’re right.”

They both share a laugh, and soon enough their plates have been cleared. The radio drones on, filling the apartment with gentle music. The candles have nearly gone out, and the bottle of wine has long since been drained of its contents.

Charlotte rises from her seat, gently pulling in Cordelia for a hug. The two take a moment to simply be with one another, wordless as their fingers intertwine.

“Thank you again for dinner, ‘Delia.” Charlotte presses a kiss to Cordelia’s hand. “It was phenomenal.”

“Well, thank you for not hating my surprise. You’re phenomenal.” Cordelia grins. “I’m really lucky to have you in my life, Char.”

“I’m the lucky one.”

They reluctantly break from their embrace, and a glance at the clock tells Cordelia that it’s growing later and later by the second. Charlotte stands in front of her, her gorgeous features shadowed by the dying candlelight. The scent of roses wafts throughout the room.

A deep breath. Then another. She allows her gaze to fall on the woman she’s absolutely crazy for, who in return smiles sweetly. Another breath, and the nervousness practically melts away from her body. Somehow, she knows that she’s ready to make the biggest decision of her life.

In other words, it’s time. 

“...Char, wanna play a game?” she quips, hand moving instinctively to her pocket.

Charlotte’s face scrunches up in confusion, a deep contrast to the smile she’d had only seconds ago. “What?” 

“A game,” Cordelia teases. “Y’know, something you play with—”

“I know what a game is, you dork. What kind of game?”

“Well, just close your eyes and I’ll explain the rules.”

Her partner gives her a strange look. “Why... would I need to do that?”

“You’ll see,” is all Cordelia says. 

Charlotte scoffs at the cryptic wording, but indeed shuts her eyes. “Alright, eyes are closed. Now what the hell are you talking about?”

“Well, the game has to be played between two people who are madly in love with each other.” Cordelia swipes the box from her pocket, fidgeting with the velvet.

“Go on...” Charlotte encourages, completely oblivious to what’s happening before her. 

The caterer props herself on one knee, breathing deeply once more. “And one of these players has to buy a ring, right? But not just any old ring. Because this ring represents the commitment, passion, and love between both players, and connects them for life.” 

Charlotte becomes visibly nervous, her voice edging somewhere between hopeful and scared. Her eyes remain closed. “Cordelia, are you...?”

“And the person with the ring loves the other player dearly, and desperately wants to spend the rest of her life with her. The other player is her better half, and she knows that. The other player makes her happier than words can tell, and god, the person with the ring hopes that she makes her feel the same.”

Cordelia swears she can see Charlotte starting to tear up, and she’d be lying if she said that her own eyes weren’t doing the same.

She continues. “So, basically, the game goes like this. The player with the ring gets on one knee, just like this...”

Charlotte finally opens her eyes, taking Cordelia’s outstretched hand and producing a watery smile. 

“Tells the other player just how much she means to her...”

Cordelia squeezes Charlotte’s hand.

“And asks the question of a lifetime.”

Charlotte keeps her soft gaze locked firmly on the woman pouring her heart out beneath her. “God, Cordelia...” she trails off.

“Will you marry me, Charlotte?”

Before Cordelia can even stand, she’s swept into a long, passionate kiss. The box falls to the floor as she combs her fingers through Charlotte’s hair. The world around her falls to meaningless pieces; her fiancé is the only thing that matters. She takes it all in— the wonderful sensation of Charlotte’s lips on her own, the tantalizing scent of her perfume, the way the doctor’s hand cups her cheek— and knows what Charlotte can’t seem to convey in her own words.

Yes, she’ll marry her.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you so much for reading! it’s been about six months since i’ve uploaded any new work, so what better way to make my reappearance than with the lesbians from next door? as always, any kudos and comments/feedback are vastly appreciated!


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